| Whooping cough cases on the rise statewide, but no cases reported in this area |
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Published: 8/4/2012 | Updated: 6/17/2013
By STEVE EIGHINGER
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
Adams County Health Department officials indicate there have been no cases of pertussis -- commonly referred to as whooping cough -- reported this year. That news comes following a report that health-care providers have documented a "large increase" in whooping cough cases in northern Illinois and across the country. "We have had no cases this year," said Jan Hummel, the immunization coordinator for the Adams County Health Department. "I think the message about the vaccine is getting across. We've had absolutely no cases this year. "It's adults who develop pertussis, and who are the most vulnerable around them? The small children. That's why making sure you have taken the vaccine is so important." The collar counties of Illinois have been hit particularly hard by the contagious bacterial disease that causes violent coughing. The Chicago Tribune reported roughly 500 cases have been diagnosed in McHenry, DuPage and Lake counties, but health officials say that cases are likely much higher due to many people who will go undiagnosed. The paper said 30 to 40 new cases around the state are being reported each week. In 2011, health care providers in Illinois reported 1,509 whooping cough cases to the Illinois Department of Public Health for the entire year. With five months still to go in this year, providers already have reported approximately 1,200 cases of whooping cough. Nationally, year-to-date case counts from 2012 have surpassed those from the previous five years for the same period. Hummel said in 2011 there were "a few" reported cases in Adams County and in 2010 there were three outbreaks. An outbreak, she said, constitutes two or more related cases, such as a husband and wife. With August being National Immunization Awareness Month, the Illinois Department of Public Health is placing added emphasis on the pertussis vaccine. All sixth- and ninth-grade students are now required to show proof of receiving the "Tdap" vaccine, an immunization against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. Students must either show proof of having received this vaccination, must have an appointment to get the vaccine or have an approved medical or religious exemption on file. Students who do not, will not be allowed to attend school. Hummel said a side effect of the flood of 2008 was the large amount of people in the area who received the vaccine as a guard against tetanus. The lowering of the number of whooping cough cases locally since that time could be a direct result of that, she said. Vaccination continues to be the single most effective strategy to reduce illness, and even death, caused by pertussis and other vaccine-preventable diseases, according to the IDPH. "Medical experts have found whooping cough has been on the rise in pre-teens and teens, indicating a waning immunity from infant and childhood immunizations," IDPH Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck said in a release. "To combat this, Illinois now requires all incoming sixth- and ninth-grade students to receive a Tdap booster shot." A gradual and sustained increase in pertussis has been observed in the United States after reaching historic lows in the 1970s. -- seighinger@whig.com/221-3377
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